This, the third volume of The History of Middle-earth, gives
us a privileged insight into the creation of the mythology
of Middle-earth, through the alliterative verse tales of two of
the most crucial stories in Tolkien's world -- those of Turin
and Luthien.
The first of the poems is the unpublished Lay of the
Children of Hurin, narrating on a grand scale the tragedy of
Turin Turambar.
The second is the moving Lay of Leithian, the chief source
of the tale of Beren and Luthien in The Silmarillion, telling of
the Quest of the Silmaril and the encounter with Morgoth in
his subterranean fortress.
Accompanying the poems are commentaries on the evolution
of the history of the Elder Days. Also included is the notable
criticism of The Lady of Leithian by C. S. Lewis, who read the
poem in 1929.

THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH.I.
THE BOOK OF LOST TALES, PART ONE.II.
THE BOOK OF LOST TALES, PART TWO.III.
THE LAYS OF BELERIAND
IV.
THE SHAPING OF MIDDLE-EARTH.
V.
THE LOST ROAD,
AND OTHER WRITINGS.
VI.
THE RETURN OF THE SHADOW.
VII.
THE TREASON OF ISENGARD.
VIII.
THE WAR OF THE RING.
IX.
SAURON DEFEATED.
X.
MORGOTH'S RING.
XI.
THE WAR OF THE JEWELS.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN.
THE LAYS OF
BELERIAND.
Edited by
Christopher Tolkien.

Harper Collins Publishers.

HarperCollins Publishers
77 -- 85 Fulham Palace Road,
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
This paperback edition 1994
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I
Previously published in paperback by Grafton 1992
Reprinted twice
First published in Great Britain by
George Allen & Unwin 1985
First published by Unwin Paperbacks 1987
(C) George Allen & Unwin
(Publishers) Ltd 1985
The text of the commentary by C. S. Lewis
on The Lay of Leithian (C) C. S. Lewis
PTE Limited 1985
 (C) 1990 Frank Richard Williamson
and Christopher Reuel Tolkien,
executors of the estate of the late
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
ISBN 0 261 10226 5
Printed in Great Britain by
The Guernsey Press Co. Ltd, Guernsey, Channel Islands
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